News

I challenged late filing fine

BILL LITTLE, 39, is one of more than 1m people fined for filing their online
tax returns late last year — but after arguing his case, he got a refund.

Little, a website director from Finsbury Park, north London, who lives with
his wife Nikki Stoddart, 36, a civil servant, was fined £100 after he missed
the January 31 deadline. He appealed against the fine, saying he was
bedridden at the time.

“I probably should have been organised and not left everything to the last
minute,” he said.

His formal appeal was accompanied by a doctor’s note showing he was ill for 10
days. After two months, HM Revenue & Customs agreed he had a valid case
and gave him a refund.

However, Little warns that it is easy to fall foul of HMRC rules, especially
without an accountant. Three years ago, a spot-check by the taxman found he
had deducted